Inventory control device



Jan. 13, 1970 E, 1 L AMGAN, JR" ET AL 3,489,433 INVENTORY coNTRoLpEvIcEoriginal Filed Dec. 23, 1965 PAGE N0.

26 n zz UNPACKING .SERVICE United States Patent O 3,489,433 INVENTORYCONTROL DEVICE Edward J. Lanigan, Jr., Memphis, Tenn., and Joseph J.Sweeney, La Grange Park, Ill., assignors to Allied Van Lines, Inc.,Broadview, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Continuation of applicationSer. No. 516,065, Dec. 23, 1965. This application Sept. 14, 1967, Ser.No. 671,916 Int. Cl. B42d 15/00; B411 1/24 U.S. Cl. 283-55 5 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed an inventory controldevice including a rst control page having a job control indicia thereonand columnar control blanks prefixed with sequentially arranged itemcontrol indicia. A second page is attached to the iirst page andremovably carries a plurality of adhesively attached labels arranged inrows. Each label bears a job control indicia and the labels aresequentially provided with item control indicia corresponding to thesequentially arranged item control indicia on the first page.

This application is a continuation of our co-pending application, Ser.No. 516,065, filed Dec. 23, 1965, now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to inventory control devices andespecially to inventory control devices that are arranged for use in thefurniture moving industry.

Control of an inventory of furniture, equipment or household items beingmoved from one location to another has proved to be a problem ofsubstantial magnitude, especially if two or more lots are mixed in onevan or if any of the items involved have had an ntermediate stopover ina warehouse. Labeling of individual items has helped alleviate theproblem to some degree; but heretofore, labeling schemes have not beendeveloped to a high degree; and in the past, occasions have arisen alltoo frequently wherein a-n item could not be collated with a given jobeven if it bore an identifying label. Resultant claims against thecarrier for lost goods have been clostly and have seriously erodedprofits.

Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to providean inventory control device which has assured effectiveness and whichtherefore is capable of substantially reducing claims for lost orundelivered goods.

A more general object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedinventory control device.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inventory controldevice which is inexpensive to manufacture and convenient to use.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become moreapparent from the following descriptions.

An inventory control device in accord with the invention includes acontrol page having an identifying inventory job control indicia thereonand having columnar item control blanks prefixed with individual itemcontrol indicia. A second page is disposed underlying the first page,and a plurality of control labels are removably mounted on the secondpage in ordered relationship. Each of the labels is provided with thejob control indicia and with one of the item control indicia.Pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to the rear face of each label,and means are provided to connect the iirst and second pages.

The invention, both as to its construction and its mode of usage, willbe better understood by reference to the following disclosure anddrawing forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective View of an inventory control deviceconstructed in compliance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to the showing in FIG. 1 butillustrating the device with the front pages turned up to reveal thepage bearing the individual inventory labels;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating removal of one of the control labels fromthe support page;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a furniture leg with one of the controllabels adhesively mounted thereon; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of theinvention.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2,an inventory control device constructed in compliance with theprinciples of the present invention is there indicated generally by thereference numeral 10. The inventory control device 10 comprises a first,data page 12 and a second, support page 14 which are interconnected bysuitable means such as a glue strip 16. lf desired, a number ofduplicate data pages 18 may be situated between pages 12 and 14interleaved with carbon sheets, not shown, to provide copies of thecompleted data page. The data page 12 is intended to receive a listingof the individual items in a particular inventory job; and therefore,the page 12 is provided with a plurality of item control blanks 20 whichare arranged in columns and' which, in compliance with the features ofthe present invention, are prefixed with individual item control indicia22.. The control blanks are advantageously defined by ruled horizontallines 24 and ruled vertical lines 26. In further accord with theinvention, the item control indicia 22.are provided in consecutivesequence. Numerals are conveniently used for an inventory job controlindicia 28 as well as for the item control indicia 22, but letters,combinations of letters and numerals or other suitable symbols may beemployed. Provision for other control data may be made on the page 12 asis desired, and various auxiliary features may be incorporated such aspunched holes 30 of the type that may be used in mounting the variouspages in a binder.

fIn compliance with the principles of the invention, a plurality ofunconnected control labels 32 are removably mounted on the support page14 as is particularly well shown in FIG. 2. Each of the labels 32 bearsthe same inventory job control indicia 28 that is imprinted on the datapage 12. In addition, each of the labels 32 carries one of the itemcontrol indicia 22. The indicia on the labels 32 are provided on thefront face thereof; and since the item -control indicia are provided inconsecutive sequence, it is advantageous to arrange the labels 32 inordered relationship corresponding to the sequence of the item controlindicia. In particular accord with the invention, the labels 32 arearranged in tiered rows with the label having the lowest sequentialindicia situated at a bottom corner of the page and with the remaininglabels arranged consecutively from the -bottom to the top of the page.An insignia 33 which indicates the originating company is advantageouslydisposed between the indicia 22 and the indicia 28 on each of the labels32. One of these insiginia is shown in FIG. 2, the circle symbol on theremaining labels being employed to suggest the illustrated insignia. Y

Turning to a consideration of FIG. 3, a typical label 32 is seen to beprovided with a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive 34 covering itsrear face. Various pressure-sensitive adhesives may be employed, andlatex based adhesives have proved eminently useful. With horizontal andvertical die-cut, scored or perforated lines 36 separating theindividual labels 32 and with a release surfacing 38 on the front faceof support page 14, each of the labels 32 may be easily peeled from thesupport page, as is suggested in FIG. 3, and attached to an inventoryitem by placing the label thereon and applying pressure to activate theadhesive. In FIG. 4 a la-bel 32 is shown attached to a furniture leg 40in the described manner. The release surfacing 38 is selected to be aglossy material for example, such as a paraiiin wax or polyethylenecomposition.

In 'use of the inventory control device 10, a particular work unit willbe assigned one or more inventory job control indicia; andcorresponding, assembled pages will be supplied to the originatingagent. As each item in the task is identified in the control blanks 20,the label 32 bearing the corresponding, prefixed control indicia 22 willbe removed from the support page 14 and attached to the work item. Thisprocedure will be followed until all of the items have been identiiiedin the columnar control blanks and have received a corresponding controllabel. Thus, wherever a particular work item may stray in storage ortransit, it may -be related to the specific job and identified from thedescription on the corresponding control blank.

In tasks involving large numbers ofy items to be de-` posited atdifferent locations or in small tasks which are to be mixed in shipment,advantage may be derived by color coding the control labels by vgroup orby job `control indicia, whereby to provide, at a glance, a means ofsegregation.

While a particular embodiment has been thus far shown and described,various other embodiments may be constructed. Therefore and in order toenhance the understanding of the invention, a modified embodiment of theinvention is shown in FIG. 5. Since the embodiment of FIG. 5 is similarin many respects to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, like numerals have beenused to designate like parts with the suffix letter a being used todistinguish the similar elements of the embodiment of FIG. 5. Theinventory control device a is particularly characterized by theincorporation of a second or support page 42 which, unlike thecomparatively flexible support page 14 is fabricated to be comparativelyrigid. Heavy gauge, pressed cardboard may be used for example in theconstruction of the support page 42. Incorporating a relatively stiffsupport page, the inventory control device 10a may be used withoutresort to a wall, table top, clipboard or the like in providingresistance to the impression of the writing instrument employed indescribing the individual work items in the control blanks a.

The specilic examples herein shown and described are to be considered asbeing primarily illustrative. Various changes beyond those describedwill, no doubt, occur to those skilled in the art; and such changes areto be understood as forming a part of this invention insofar as theyfall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. An inventory control device comprising a iirst control data pagehaving an identifying inventory job control indicia, item controlindicia arranged in sequential predetermined ordered relationship ofvertical columnar nature on said iirst page, and an item control blankon said first page associated with each of said item control indicia; asecond page underlying the control data page and secured thereto; and aplurality of control labels arranged in rows on said second page, eachof said labels having a back coated with pressure sensitive adhesive andbeing removably attached to said second page thereby and further vbeingattachable to an item upon being removed from said second page, each ofs-aid labels having a iirst indicia corresponding with the job controlindicia on the first page, each of said labels further having a secondindicia corresponding with and complementary to one of said sequentiallyarranged item control indicia of the first page, each of said secondindicia corresponding to a different one of said item control indicia,said first and second indicia being disposed on the front face of saidlabel, the sequentially initial item control indicia on a label of saidsecond page corresponding with a complementary sequentially initial itemcontrol indicia on said first page and being disposed on the label of afirst row and positioned in the vicinity of one corner of said secondpage, the succeeding labels in said first row bearing successivelysequentially arranged item control indicia beginning with said cornerlabel and progressing to and including the label at the opposite end ofsaid row in the vicinity of the opposite margin of said second page, thenext adjacent second row of labels bearing item control indiciacontinuing sequentially from the item control indicia of the label atthe aforesaid opposite end of the first row and corresponding with thecontinued sequential arrangement of item indicia on said first page.

2. An inventory control device as defined in claim 1, wherein said rowsof labels extend generally horizontally across said second page.

3. An inventory control device, as delined in claim 1, which includesmeans securing upper margins of said first and second pages to eachother, said label with the initial indicia thereon being located at alower corner of said second page.

4. An inventory control device as defined in claim 1, wherein saidsecond page has a glossy surfacing and remains intact after removal ofthe labels therefrom for permitting the labels to be reapplied theretoat the conclusion of an inventory control operation.

S. An inventory control device, as defined in claim 1, wherein saidlabels are completely separated from each other along die cut lines.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,203,902 11/1916 Nichols 282-232,089,247 8/ 1937 Benson 282-23 2,095,437 10/1937 Fox 40-2 2,581,895l/l952 Wilson 282-23 2,653,831 9/ 1953 Dickson 282-23 FOREIGN PATENTS335,361 9/1903 France. 1,176,986 8/1964 Germany.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner

